


The Gruesome Tales of Danica Cromwell

by DoctorPandorica



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, May not be explicit I don't like to give myself restrictions when writing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:26:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorPandorica/pseuds/DoctorPandorica
Summary: Danica Iola Maeve Cromwell,  Daughter of Edward Spellman and only child of Iona Lilith Maeve Cromwell is living a rather mundane life, well as much as witch's life can be.  That all changes with the nearing of her Half-sister Sabrina's baptism, when all Heaven breaks loose.  What does the Devil want with her beloved baby sister? And what in Satan's name is up with her Neighbor, Mary?





	1. Intro

**DANICA**

**DANICA IOLA MAEVE CROMWELL---** _KAYA SCODELARIO_

 

 

 **IONA LILITH MAEVE CROMWELL---** _LARA PULVER_

 

 

 

 **MAGNUS STEPHEN ELIPHAS CROMWELL---** _DAVID TENNANT_

 

 

**HECATE**

 

       

 

 

 **SAM CROWTHER---** _Colin Farrell_

 

 

 **PIPER BISHOP--** AnnaSophia Robb

 

****

 

 **ANDREAS SWEENEY** \-- Mark A. Sheppard

 

 

 **JUNIPER NIGHT--** Billie Lourd

 

 

 **ROSALIE "ROSE RED" CROMWELL--** Ruth Connell

 

 


	2. Danica's room @ the Spellman Home and her Film/Theater Memorabilia

 

##  Danica's Room at Spellman House

## Danica's Film/Theater Memorabilia

 

##  ** Danica's Photo wall **

****

 

 


	3. October Country Part One

  

 

 

            It was a crisp autumn night in the little town of Greendale and while her little sister was out for a night on the town with her friends. Danica Iona Maeve Cromwell was hard at work going through her late family’s things at the Cromwell family home, thinking about the happier times spent within its walls. Running through the forests of Greendale with her mother’s familiar to watch over her when she couldn’t. Enjoying her mother’s teachings of their Dark Lord’s unholy grimoire or anytime she spent with her mother really. On all accounts Iona Lilith Maeve Cromwell had been the ideal mother, she had adored her sweet star, her little bird.

            Then again, she couldn’t properly remember much about her, she couldn’t really be sure at times if it had happened or if it had been merely a dream. And it had all been her Uncle Magnus’ doing and although he had long since been gone, sometimes she could swear she felt his presence lording over her. She started to fiddle with the sterling silver pendant around her neck adorned with the whimsical image of rabbits joined foot to foot with a clover in the center. She could almost hear its former owner’s voice, assuring he was just that long gone, never to darken her doorway again.

            Even still, it didn’t entirely calm her mind, after all, Cromwells were the most notorious for their dangerously fickle natures, it was said that to cross a Cromwell was to cross death itself. And their vengeance had the strength to transcend through the veil of the dead, long after their own demise. From the most famous matriarch Maeve Cromwell who cursed an entire colony for the death of her lover Freya. To her mother’s third Cousin Rosalie “Red” Cromwell cursing the lineage of a pair of brothers from the next town over with bloodshed.

            Those lucky few exempt from such wrath were only those within the Cromwell family. And while Dani’s mother was no exception, and for a time so was her uncle Magnus but, those were better days spent at the Cromwell Estate.

            And it was on those happier times her mind seemed to linger as she stood there present day, starring into her mother’s room. Staring intently at the intricate silver doorknob, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to go and claim the comfort of her mother’s old things. Iona had charmed the room so that none may enter without her explicit permission. It was hard enough trying to get the door open, even despite the fact it was further than her uncle ever got.

            The sound of something skittering down the hallway drew her attention back to reality. Just in time to see her beloved familiar, Hecate practically crashes into her leg. Chittering away,

“Oh stop, you act like you haven’t eaten in days. It’s only …” she faltered when she noted how the moonlight shining through the window. The black-footed ferret started up again, in a very irate and very long I told you so that lasted all the way to the kitchen.  

Upon entry, Hecate leaped on to the kitchen Island as Danica made her way to the fridge. Which was all for not as she found absolutely nothing, well edible at least. She had hoped to stay a bit longer before heading back home to the Spellman House, but the fact her empty stomach and her growing exhaustion, made her think otherwise.

            She knew she shouldn’t but, she couldn’t help but think for an average witch there would be no problem. But, here in lied the problem, when it came to brains, she exceeds in expectations, easily living up to the title of Edward Spellman’s daughter. To be fair, she had to be to make up for her lack of brawn, she could only manage to do so much before running the risk of making herself sick let alone collapse on the spot. The only area that proved to be an exception was that of Astral Projection, especially in terms of longevity. In fact, until she had attended the school, she’d believed the psychopomps to be nothing more than a myth.

Hecate let out a long low hiss,

“Alright alright,” Danica sighed, slamming the fridge shut. She screamed, nearly jumped out of her skin when she spotted a young girl about her age out of the corner of her eye peering in through the kitchen window. “For Satan’s Sake”

            She scolded herself, for allowing herself to be caught off guard so close to Samhain. The Cromwell Estate was speculation to legend, and it didn’t help that it was abandoned for almost a century and a half. As such the town’s local legend had served for a sort of rite of passage to anyone brave enough to at least make it to the front door and take a picture as proof of course. One that had grown more popular as of just over the span of a decade since she’d started fixing up the place, people eager to catch a glimpse of its inhabitance. And while she was always one for a bit of good old-fashioned shenanigans all year round Over the years it had become old quite fast, particularly when one of her windows had ended up broken.

            She grabbed the largest kitchen knife she could find, before heading out to confront the impish intruder. If that little shit wanted a thrill, she would gladly give her one. A faint chime rang through the house, just as she made it to the door, she quickly swung it open brandishing the knife.

“Alright who….” She stopped mid-sentence when she noted the mortified teenaged pizza boy standing before her, “Uhhh… sorry about that.”

“It’s fine” he assured, his voice squeaked slightly despite his attempts to calm himself, “Living in a place like this, would have me on edge too, especially this time of year.”

Danica was about to explain she didn’t order the pizza but, her kindly nature and stomach got the better of her.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Uhh $12.99” she fished out a twenty from the stash in the Console Table by the door, that she kept on hand for the people who managed the landscaping, “Keep the change”

“Thanks, uhh I feel a little stupid for asking this but, do mind if I” he vaguely gestured between his phone and the door.

“Go nuts” she assured shutting the door, she had barely made it back to the kitchen when she heard a horrid scream. She tossed the pizza onto the kitchen Island and ran back to the door, but by the time she managed to open the door the poor young man was lying in a pool of his own blood. With a rather familiar face rummaging through his pockets, “Chester, how in the Heaven did you get out? Look I’m tired and hungry, if I have to chase you, I’m going to get cross and you know what will happen then. So, I suggest you get back in the cellar.”

“FUCK YOU!!!” Chester screamed out before scrambling to the car, fumbling frantically with the keys, all the while Danica stood still. Finally, Chester was able to get in the car, managing to calm himself down enough to get the keys in the first time. The second the engine roared to life, Chester slammed his foot on the accelerator but, Danica still didn’t move. Just as the car was about to reach her, Hecate appeared out of nowhere scratching and biting at his face and in his panic, Chester crashed into the large stone fountain. He quickly scrambled out of the car, before making a hasty retreat to the woods after managing to pry Hecate from his face.

            Danica followed him, zigzagging through trees, overleaps and bounds. Finally, she got close enough to make a lucky slice at one of his Achille’s Tendons, which sent him plummeting to the ground with a scream of pure agony.

“Please…please don’t…” he begged desperate attempting to crawl away, all the while Danica slowly approached him.

“Don’t what?” Danica pretended to ponder aloud, holding him in place with her foot, “Don’t slaughter you as you did to those girls or that poor kid back there?”

“HELP!!!!” Chester seemed to suddenly burst with new life, “PLEASE STOP HER, PLEASE!!!”

Danica followed his gaze and found herself coming face to face with the girl from her kitchen window, with a look of something she could quite place.

“Got more than you bargained, didn’t you? Hope it lived up to the stories” Danica asked, but the girl didn’t falter for a second. She moved to comment further but, paused when something seemed to change in the girl’s appearance. In fact, the longer Danica stared, the more the girl’s skin seemed to resemble the texture of green rotting apple innards. Tiny clusters of piranha teeth lined her jaw or more appropriately her jawbone and her eyes, dear Satan her eyes. Yet, all and all she could help but feel she had seen this horrid face before. Before the girl or creature could reach her, Hecate’s enlarged shadowy form collided with it.

             Danica immediately bolted through the woods, barely even registering if her feet were in fact hitting the ground. Yet, she couldn’t seem to go fast enough, her heart hammering in her ears. She stopped when she realized that in her panic, she had actually made the enormous error of running far away from the safety of her home. She was soon greeted with the chittering of Hecate as she climbed up the length of her to settle on her shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she asked, to which the tiny yet, the mighty creature let out a squeak of assurance, “Where is it?”

Hecate let out a few squeaks, rolling clicks,

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

After some time, the two made it to the road, just in time for her to come colliding with a speeding car. The next thing Danica knew someone was calling her name, she managed to open her eyes attempting to focus her gaze on who or whatever was looming over her. Which as to her great relief turned out to be her tenant, Mary Wardwell. The kindly schoolteacher that she'd rented the old cottage that had once been used as the servant’s quarters. She attempted to ease herself up against the front wheel of the car,

“Dani, I’m so sorry” the self-proclaimed Town Historian apologized profusely. Danica wracked her brain to remember what exactly had happened before she passed out, then she remembered the horrid thing from her Kitchen window. And began to attempt to pull herself up by the hood of the car, “You shouldn’t move too quickly if at all; heaven knows the damage I’ve done. Again, I am so sorry.”

“Hecate” Danica called out into the night only to be met by silence until she heard loud chirpish screeches. She felt something climb up the length of her body to her shoulders, followed by muffled nervous chittering. She turned her head slightly and noted that the familiar had her knife, which she accepted. She looked up and immediately took note of Miss Wardwell’s change in demeanor at the sight of the large kitchen knife in her hand.

“I can explain…. I hope… but, not now, we can’t stay here” She felt another stab of pain as she moved to the passenger’s side of the car, that was so bad she almost dropped the knife. “NOW…Please”

Immediately, Miss Wardwell complied sliding into the driver’s seat, Danica didn’t relax until they had taken off down the road.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

            Miss Wardwell had been rather insistent on taking Danica to a hospital, but Danica herself had more insistent upon returning home. They came to an understanding that Danica would go to see Dr. Sapirstein first thing in the morning, so they drove to the cottage. A choice that had been based purely on a gut feeling and not an entirely stupid one at that. After all she’d taken to warding it against anything and everything she could think of, sometime after meeting the schoolteacher. She’d immediately excused herself to the bathroom to try reaching her family, through every mirror and a reflective surface, in general, she could think of but, to no avail.

“Dani will you please tell me what happened,” Miss Wardwell, asked after some time, despite Danica’s feeble attempts to brush off her words and actions as a result of the accident. She eyed the weapon, “Did someone attack you?”

            Danica didn’t say a word, nor did she take her eyes away from the window, gripping tight on the kitchen knife. While Hecate, on the other hand, helped herself to almond cookies, there was a crash coming from the back of the cottage. Danica moved as fast her limbs would let her to the source but, found nothing, she ventures further into the room to be sure. Suddenly the door slammed shut, Danica frantically kicked at it and fumbled with the doorknob.

She increased her efforts when she heard Mary’s scream and Hecate hissing frantically, even more so when those hisses turned into terrible screeches.  She abandoned her efforts at the door and quickly made more progress with the already broken window.

            She raced around the side of the house to the front door which was wide open. The first thing she noticed was Mary Wardwell lying in a pool of her own blood without another thought she rushed over. She made a desperate attempt to stop the blood but, to no avail, the poor woman was already dead.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

            Danica flew up in her bed, but when she looked around, she found herself in her room, back at the Spellman house. Which wouldn’t have been so strange if she could remember how she got there from her late mother and uncle’s Estate. In fact, the last thing she could remember was being in the kitchen with Hecate, who was lying in the corner on her own bed. Danica pushed off her black duvet and made her way over to her beloved familiar, wincing at the horrendous pain that coursed through her body. She quickly brushed it off to strange sleep position, that according to Sabrina made her look like the exorcist

“Hey” she whispered, scratching behind one of the familiar’s ears, earning a tired little yawn as she rolled over away from her, “Well, I guess you’re not hungry then.”

That seemed to do the trick as Hecate perked up and stretched before scampering up her shoulder before the pair headed downstairs

“Morning all” Danica yawned as she made her way over to grab Hecate’s food and bowl,

 “Morning…” Hilda began before getting a proper look at her eldest niece, “Oh Dani Luv, are you alright?”

“Not really, I had a really bad dream”

“No, I mean your arm”

At that Danica looked down, rolling up her sleeve to reveal the extent of a slash mark on her arm. She had flashes of Chester’s shenanigans which made her brush it off,

“Oh yeah I think one of the ghosts threw me out a window again” Danica scrambled, to remember, brushing off the strange vision “Probably just great uncle Malthus? I mean he’s the only one left, well him and Cousin Rosalie but, she’s fine as long as you stay out of her room”

“Wait you think?” Ambrose inquired, as Danica poured Hecate’s food which she immediately set herself upon. Allowing Danica to make her coffee,

“I don’t really remember, honestly I don’t even remember coming home. In fact, all I do remember was heading into the kitchen with Hecate, to get a drink and…”

Zelda scoffed from behind her newspaper,

“Nonalcoholic ” Danica insisted as she settled beside her “ I was busy, going through Great Aunt Millicent’s things, it took me all day to break all the charms she set up. Besides it’s not like I drink that much, honestly, you make me sound like one of those people that try to bury their feelings. Okay I do a little bit, then again who doesn’t but, I mean I still feel things

 “Hitting the floor when you pass out doesn’t count” Ambrose muttered under his breath

“I heard that” as snipped as she stole a piece of bacon of his plate

“Oi”

“Good Morning, Aunties, Dani, Ambrose” Sabrina greeted as she made her way over to the table, settling in between her cousin and big sister.

“Morning, darling! How did you sleep?” Aunt Hilda asks, looking up from her cooking,

“Tempestuously by the sounds of it,” Aunt Zelda says as she lowers her newspaper.

Now that you mention it, Aunt Z, I did wake up once or twice,” Sabrina says. “It’s an exciting time, in more ways than one.” She touches the ring hanging from her neck.

“I remember the week before my Dark Baptism. It felt as if my real life was finally beginning.” Aunt Zelda continued proudly as she sets her newspaper on the table. Taking a drag of her cigarette “I barely slept.”

“Rabbit’s feet under your pillow tonight”, Auntie Hilda interjected, “You’ll sleep like the dead.”

“Speaking of the dead,” Sabrina says as she pulls out the shoebox, “a bat flew into my room last night. Smashed through one of our windows.”

“Oh, want me to bring it back?” Ambrose and Danica asked somewhat excitedly

“No, I will not have any necromancy in this house.” Aunt Zelda says quickly and sternly, “Especially after the last time”

“For the last time, it wasn’t my fault that Mr. Fluffles escaped and bit the mailman” Danica insisted

“Poor Mr. Dooley” Aunt Hilda sighed, “Such a lovely man, shame we had to lop off his head”

“Is it okay if I bury it in the garden?” Sabrina asks,

“Yes, as you wish,” Aunt Hilda walks towards the teen witch with a jar, “you can bury it in the pet cemetery by the sundial, there’s room there.” She opens the jar and sets on in front of her.

“Oh, wait, what’s this?” Sabrina asks in interest as Danica closed her eyes willing herself not to barf at the memory so vivid, she could almost taste the offending concoction.

“Before you can be baptized, the temple of your body needs to be purified, cleansed of its toxins.” Aunt Zelda says before taking another drag of her cigarette.

“This is actually milk and eggs and rosemary and agrimony and a cupful of vanilla and a pinch of John the Conqueror root and tannins.” Aunt Hilda says. “And other herbs from my garden.” She adds quickly. “Drink up, darling.”

“Don’t do it, cousin,” Ambrose says in between loud clearings of his throat, while Danica made a rather exaggerated kill gesture

“Ambrose! Danica!” Aunt Zelda says sternly. “Sabrina, you need to pick a familiar before your dark baptism.” She says as she tossed a heavy book on the table. “The Council sent the registry.” She leans in close to the youngest witch. “I’ve, uh, indicated a few suitable options.” She opens the book to reveal different images of animals. “Now, there’s a very handsome hedgehog, a noble-looking owl, Vinegar Tom would happily welcome another dog.” She smiles to her familiar, who stares at you all from his basket.

 “About that, Aunt Z, instead of picking a familiar out of a book, which is so, I don’t know, dehumanizing,”

“Familiars are goblins who have taken on the shape of animals to better serve their witch masters.” Aunt Zelda interrupts. “There’s nothing human about them.”

“Well I couldn’t agree more; besides it’s supposed to be a partnership, not servitude.” Danica interjected as Hecate scurried up to her shoulders, “In fact, I have a summoning spell if you’re interested.”

“Actually, I already found one in the Demonomicon.  I was planning on trying it out on my way to school, just putting it out there that I’m looking for a familiar and see if anyone wants to volunteer”.

“Well, I think it’s a charming idea.” Aunt Hilda chuckles. Aunt Zelda gives Aunt Hilda an exasperated look.

Aunt Zelda sighs. “What about your baptismal name? Have you settled on one yet?”

“I have, as a matter of fact.” Sabrina smiles proudly. “Edwina Diana. Edwina, which is almost Edward, to honor my father, and Diana, to honor my mother. And not just to honor them, to be closer to them. To have them with me as I walk the Path of Night.”

Danica couldn’t help the smile that crept about her lips,

“I wasn’t gonna cry.” Aunt Hilda croaks, a sucker for sentiment. “A-and I just, I just wish your mum and dad were here to see this, to see you.”

“Me too, Auntie,” Sabrina says sympathetically.

“They would be so proud of you,” she sniffs, “they would be so proud of the young woman you’ve become.”

“Correction, Hilda, they’d be so proud of the young witch she’s becoming.” Aunt Zelda says proudly. Sabrina is quiet for a moment, which seemed to go unnoticed by everyone but Danica and Ambrose.

“Alright, drink up.” Aunt Hilda

Sabrina grimaced by complied quickly as possible before heading outbox in hand.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

“Penny dreadful for your thoughts, cousin?” Ambrose questioned aloud as the youngest Spellman seemed to stare off into space.

“Some people might say that a bat crashing through a window is a bad omen” she suggests, before allowing a short stint of silence, “I found a two-headed frog in my shoe yesterday”

“Not having doubts, are we?” Danica settled on one of the tombstones, “Because I could have sworn you seemed absolutely elated”

“And I am, it’s just...”

“Just?” Ambrose prodded, “It’s alright to be a little nervous. Going into the woods, signing your name in the Dark Lord’s book. Even I had butterflies.”

“What did you tell your friends? About your leaving” Danica asked, eyeing her little sister “I mean, you did tell them something”

Sabrina bit her lip, “Not exactly. I’m just waiting for the right time”

“Bri it’s never going to be the right time. Which is why you need to rip this band-aid off, the sooner the better.”

“You two wouldn’t understand, you both born full witches. You don’t have to say goodbye to half your life, your friends, your boyfriend.”

“True, but afterward, when you’re fully a witch, you’ll stay younger longer” Ambrose offered,

“And you’ll be able to cultivate your gifts at the Academy of unseen arts, where our father was headmaster. You will belong, in every sense of the word” Danica added, “That I promise you”

“I know. And I want those things. I do. It’s just...it’s dumb” the younger witch let out a sigh, “You’re only supposed to start missing things after you say good-bye to them, right?”

“Like I said it’s never the right time to say goodbye, no matter how much you prepare yourself. But even though it doesn’t feel like it, it’s okay because it just shows how much you meant to one another. Which is why you need to make the most of the time you have with them now and tell them.”

Danica watched as Sabrina made her way out into the woods, only then did she turn to Ambrose a look of melancholy lingered on his face.

“What?” she pressed

“You know I’ve been under house arrest with you and our aunties for the last 75 years,”

“Oh, I’m well aware you don’t go for more than an hour without reminding everyone”

“I mean just because I have missed out on everything doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Who’s to say I’m missing anything?  I had my fun, I’m right where I want to be.” She assured as she headed back to the house, “Besides you’d go positively mental without me and you know it”

 

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

 

            Less than an hour later Danica was dressed and ready to go about her duties at the Academy. She stared forlorn at her 1946 BMW R71 motorcycle, it wasn’t that she wasn’t fond of it, because there were a lot of fond memories tied to it. No, her discontentment lay in what it represented these days, how despite her cunning and over all intelligence, when it came to physical feats of magic, she always fell short. It hadn’t been her fault, from the moment she was born she showed great promise when it came to her magical abilities, according to her aunties and late father. But that was before Uncle Magnus had sunk her claws into her, now she could barely manage to teleport herself anywhere without causing a dizzy spell

            She was drawn out of her thoughts by something skittering up her sleeve,

“Oh no way in Heaven” she got scooped up the ferret before gently depositing her on the ground, “You know familiars aren’t allowed at the Academy, just go and keep Ambrose company till I get back”

Hecate let out a few short raspy squeakish rolling clicks,

“Seriously what happened last week when you avoided me for changing your food, it wasn’t my fault they didn’t have it. I got you those Bacon flavored chew sticks you like, and I know you still like them because when my back was turned you….are you even listening to me?

Hecate had begun to rather feverishly dig into the old dirt road, Danica rolled her eyes as she mounted her motorcycle and off before the Familiar focus shifted again.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

            Eventually, Danica made her way a little way off school grounds covering her bike in some brush and made her way inside to just outside Father Blackwood’s office. Where she was greeted by the ever pretentious, Piper Payne or rather that was how Danica knew her during their time at the Academy together. Nowadays she was known as Piper Bishop, ever since she’d married Bernard her high school sweetheart as the mortals say. She’d had happily elected to follow into the role of a housewife, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, to each their own. No, the problem Danica had with Piper Bishop was well everything else about her from her narcissism with her attention-seeking and the condescending tone in her voice. To her complete and utter obsession with outdoing everyone, or more appropriately Danica.

 

            How she lamented the day she’d made an offhanded comment, in jest mind you, about needing an assistant. Father Blackwood didn’t get the memo and made an announcement during one of his services, she did her damnedest to assure him she had meant it as a joke. But it was all to no avail because, who of all people should volunteer their services but, Piper fucking Bishop. Every day after had been an absolute nightmare, their old feud reignited it was a free for all with the pair at each other’s throats. It wasn’t even like Danica wanted the job, if anything she was using it to keep an eye on Professor Bierce who’d stolen the position of Professor of Necromancy from her.

            The former instructor Professor Balfour, Danica’s mentor had been set on moving back to his homeland. And it had been an unspoken understanding that she would take up the position when he did. However, that was during her father’s time as High Priest. When Father Blackwood took over something seemed to have been lost in transition and Danica’s dreams of following in her mother’s footsteps went out the window.

 

“Dani” Piper beamed, “What are you doing here”

 

“I should be asking you the same question” Danica forced a smile,

 

“I mean it’s your day off, silly”

 

Danica mentally kicked herself repeatedly, it had been an easy enough mistake to make considering the morning she had had. But that wasn’t what bothered her, it was the fact that she’d made a mistake in front of Piper fucking Bishop.

 

“Of course, I just kidding. Actually, I came in to see if you needed any help”

 

“Well, desanctify ( _couldn’t think of a proper replacement for bless_ ) your heart” Piper let out a slight chuckled, “But, I have everything under control.”

 

“Ahh Miss Cromwell” came a refined voice, Danica turned to come face to face with Father Blackwood.

 

“A most glorious Anathematizing morning to you Father”

 

“And to you my dear. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, I do believe today is your day off.”

 

“I just want to get this to you before I forgot” Danica handed over the booklet, “The newly improved, revised Student Handbook.”

 

“Oh, and where are the other copies” Piper piped up unashamedly,

 

“It would be a bit foolhardy of me to do so without garnering Father Blackwood’s approval. And should it meet your approval, Father I will be happy to get the rest to you by Monday”

 

“Miss Cromwell you are a Hell sent”

 

Danica beamed with pride taking in Piper’s nasty glare out of the corner of her eye, “I do my best, Father.”

 

            Suddenly Danica wasn’t anywhere near the Academy, but instead in the Greendale woods and she could see flickers of a group of girls. Whom she recognized right away as the Weird Sisters: Prudence, Agatha, and Dorcas with what looked like Sabrina. Next thing she knew she was back in the waiting area outside Father Blackwood’s office. She noticed the pair’s eyes drift down slightly; the reason was so revealed to her when she felt something slide down her nose. When she wiped it away, she found blood she didn’t know exactly what it meant but, she had a bloody (unintended puns are the best) good idea.

“Miss Cromwell is….”

“I’m fine, perfectly fine. In fact, it would be impossible for me to more…fine then I am now” Danica was quick to assure, “I really must be going, Good day to you both”

 

 **()()()()()()()()()()** **()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

Danica drove as fast as her motorbike would let her until she had reached Baxter High. She practically bolted inside, not stopping until she reached the Front Desk

 

“Oh, Hi Dani” greeted Mrs. Meeks, “I’ll just let Miss Wardwell know you’re here”

 

“Actually, I’m here about Sabrina” Danica attempted to clarify, “It’s just she didn’t seem to be all that well this morning and yet, she insisted that she walk here. I just wanted to make sure she got here okay”

 

“Oh, she did, in fact, she was just in with Principal Hawthorne a little while ago she seemed fine to me.”

 

Danica let out a sigh of relief, she was fine for now at least.

 

“Right, ah thanks.” Danica gave a short wave as she headed out, she’d hadn’t made it less than a foot away when she heard.

 

“Hey, Dani” she turned to see none other than Sabrina herself and her boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle.

 

“Hey Harvey” she greeted

 

“What are you doing here?” the young half-witch asked,

 

“Well, I saw you weren’t looking too well this morning, remember you had that nosebleed just before you disappeared into the woods. I just wanted to check and make sure you got here okay. On an unrelated note, Mrs.Meeks said you went to see Principal Hawthorne, last time I checked you weren’t exactly his biggest fan. What happened?”

 

“Some of the football players were harassing Susie” Harvey explained

 

“They lifted up her shirt to see if she was a girl.” Sabrina immediately followed up unable to contain her anger

 

“And I’m guessing by the flames close to ebbing off your head, that Hawthorne was of no help”

 

“He suggested that she move to another school. I mean we need to do something; they can’t be allowed to get away with this.”

 

“Perhaps I can be of assistance” a familiar voice came from behind them, which when everyone turned to face its source, turned out to be Miss Wardwell. Or rather a far different version of her, everything about her from her outfit to her make up seemed more vibrant. Her hair was down, and her glasses were gone, all and all her new appearance seemed completely out of character for the mousy schoolteacher. Almost as if she were an entirely different person, at that flashes of her nightmare filled her head.

“Dani, what a pleasant surprise” Danica jumped as she was brought from her train of thought, as Miss Wardell laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Just, uh checking on Sabrina” Danica explained quickly, almost as though she thought the schoolteacher could hear her thoughts. Seconds later she felt what she assumed to be Hecate scamper up to her shoulders, happily dooking the whole way. No doubt happy to see her favorite mortal or so it seemed, the wily familiar stopped short and began to tense up let out a long scratchy hiss.

“Oi, what’s wrong with you” Dani scolded, as Hecate continued her defensive stance despite Miss Wardwell having retracted her hand. The Familiar never broke her gaze on her and let out another hiss, “Hecate, stop it’s just Mary. I sorry about her I don’t….”

Danica froze when she met her neighbor’s gaze, if she didn’t know any better, she would’ve bet anything she wasn’t doing just that. There was something drastically different from the eyes of the kindly neighbor she knew, but not quite unfamiliar. In fact, they were oddly enough very familiar, whether that was good or bad she wasn’t too sure.

“Dani” Sabrina interjected, bringing her back to the real world

“What?” she turned to her baby sister,

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just remembered I need to get back home and help Ambrose in the Mortuary” she managed, chancing a brief glance at Miss Wardwell out of the corner of her eye giving her look she couldn’t quite read. “Need to be going”

`           Saying that Danica booked it was an understatement, she’d moved so fast that by the time her brain had caught up with her body she was on her bike. With every intention of heading to the Cromwell Estate to figure out if this was truly just all in her head or something sinister.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

At first, glance, when Danica pulled up to the front of the Estate everything, seemed business as usual.

“Alright you check the woods, I’ll check inside” for once Hecate to Danica’s surprise didn’t protest but, immediately scampered off. Which only added to Danica’s worry that something really was wrong, she decided not to linger on that for now. She turned around to head inside, but upon further inspection, she noted that the door was ajar.

She noted the front door was open and entered with caution, nothing appeared to be stolen. After further inspection, she gave up as she circled back to the kitchen.

            She leaned on the kitchen island absentmindedly drumming her fingers on the newly refurbished black marble, trying her damnedest to remember anything about the night before. She remembered coming into the kitchen with Hecate and she went to get her beloved familiar something to eat but, something stopped her. Danica looked up to the long custom shaped kitchen windows, flickering images of someone or something standing just outside the kitchen window.

Immediately, she ran back outside to the front almost as though if she were quick enough, she’d catch another glimpse of it. By the time she made it to the front of the Mansion, she was, however, met with gasps as she struggled to breathe. It was only when she crumbled to her knees that she was able to catch her breath,

“That’s…new” she rasped, “What the heaven happened last night?”

It was then that Danica noticed that the lock on the cellar door was missing,

 “Oh shit, shit, shit” She scrambled over, and a chill ran up her spine when she noted it was unlocked. She flung them open and raced down inside, rushing past the barrels of wine to the back wall and with a quick wave of her hand a door was revealed. She opened it up to what had once been the family Satanic altar, which had been converted into Danica’s base of operations for her Black-Market organ dealings.

Which was a bit of a long story that started with an interesting visitor at the Spellman Mortuary and ended with Danica becoming a murderous vigilante? And now there she stood in the now vacant room wondering where the hell her latest cash cow was. She turned around to go search for him and was stopped by a dead body she didn’t remember making in the corner by the door. Upon further inspection she found that he was a delivery boy from Persephone’s Pizza, that’s when she was transported to the front of the house. The same boy was lane out by her front door, with none other than Chester going through his pockets.

            When she opened her eyes, she was back in the hidden depths of the family cellar but, not for long as she bolted out. Desperate to find out what in Satan’s name that thing from her visions was but, for now, she’d settle for where the heaven Chester had gone. She slowed down when she spotted Miss Wardwell’s cottage out of the corner of her eye, remembering her eyes. The frantic sound of screechy barking almost like a tiny bear cub, caught her attention as Hecate came scampering up to her.

“You found him? Where?” Hecate took off, with Danica following close behind, eventually, they came to a small clearing. “Sweet Mother of Sin” There before her lay Chester or rather what remained of the horrid man, with huge chunks taken out of him and the bits that were still there stunk as lay rotting under the sun.  “What could’ve done this?”

“Funny I was thinking the same thing” a voice called from behind

          


	4. October Country Prt 2

   Danica whirled around only to come face to face with, an older man who appeared to be in his late 30s perhaps early forties. His black hair slicked back with still some bounce to it, which contrasted against his pale skin, as did his thick eyebrow almost as thick has his hair. His warm brown eyes regarded with a small smile playing on his lips until that is, he took in the look on Danica's face.

"Sam Crowther, you miserable bastard. What the heaven are you doing here?"

"Easy, Gigi," Sam put his hands up in mock defense

" **Don't**  call me that"

"Ya, I know I'm a bastard, but I'm not here for forgiveness. But.... I do need help"

"Oh well, when you put it that way" Danica scoffed, turning to leave

"Dani, please if you don't help me Sweeney is gonna kill me" he made a grab for her arm but stopped when a frantic hissing familiar stopped him.

"Andreas Sweeney? Please he's a pussycat", Danica turned back to face him,

"That's easy for you to say, he likes you"

"He  _likes_ anyone with a heartbeat, which almost makes me wonder what the Heaven you did to piss off one of the most feared Occultist Crime lords of all time?"

"Dani, please you are the last person he would expect to hide me. What do you want me to do beg? Fine I'll bloody beg" He got down on his knees with a dramatic flourish, hugging her calves "Dani for the love of ..."

"For Lucifer's sake get up" she attempted to shake him loose, "Have you any shame at all?"

"Not when my life is literally in just about everyone else's hands but, my own"

"Fine" Sam sighed in relief, "But, you have to help me figure out what did this" she made a broad gesture to the rotting corpse as Sam managed to get to his feet dusting himself off

"Thank thank thank you" he profusely praised, before planting a kiss on Danica which earned him a punch to face, " Ughh bloody heaven... Okay, I deserved that" At that moment a Raven swooped down, pecking at and pulling at his hair, " Not this acch, seriously?"

He swatted at the bird to avail, eventually, Hecate climbed the length of him to the top of his head hissing and swiping at it. Until finally she managed to latch on to one of its legs with her tiny teeth, jumping down to finish the job. But, before she could even reach the ground, the offending bird delivered a rather nasty peck to her face. The familiar released a wheezy chirp as the bird flew off.

"Well, at least someone likes me" he muttered, as he attempted to make himself more presentable,

"Pretty sure she was just hungry" Danica dismissed, as Hecate jumping from Sam to Danica frantically let out series of sounds like a high-pitched raspy cry of a bear cub.

"Well, that's what you get for picking a fight with a defenseless bird"

"I'm sorry did you miss the part where that thing peck the bloody heaven out of me" Hecate only started up again, which gave Danica pause "What's wrong with you?"

"Hecate said it was someone's familiar"

"Shit, shit, shit" Sam panicked, running his fingers through his hair looking about frantically,

"Calm down, it's not one of Sweeney's lackeys, that's the whole reason you darkened my door remember. Because this is the last place, he'd look for you. And I'm pretty damn sure a witch or warlock couldn't do that" she vaguely gestured towards Chester's remains, "Or a familiar it was probably just wild, speaking of which where's Clover?"

Sam took on a Solemn look,

"There was a bit of accident a few years back nasty business, we got ambushed." He paused recalling his beloved Belgian Hare familiar, before pulling out a rabbit's foot,

"Sam so sorry" Danica affirmed; Hecate made a pitiful sound of mourning for her fallen old partner in crime.

"Only thing I could find of her" he was quick to give himself, "Now if you don't mind I'd like to get the Heaven out of here before she and I have a premature reunion."

On that Danica had to agree as they made their way back to the Cromwell Estate, once everything was locked up, she made her way to her Motorcycle.

"You still have it?" Sam admired the restored Motorbike,

"Why wouldn't I? Not like I can teleport at will is it?" Danica snipped as she mounted the bike fixing the helmet to her head, "Not that you ever bothered to have any empathy with me"

"Evidently, I did otherwise I wouldn't have gotten the bloody thing" he countered as he settled into the sidecar with the familiar begrudgingly seated in his lap, only seconds before the pair took off.

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

"So, neither of you can remember anything about last night?" Sam questioned what Danica felt was the hundredth time, as they pulled up to the Spellman house.

"For the last time no, not a thing"

"I just find it hard to believe that you could forget how a serial killer, you trapped and are harvesting organs from could just end up slaughtered like a stuck pig." He explained as he exited the Motorbike, "But, be that as it may. It could just be an ordinary animal attack, I mean these woods are vast it's easy to get lost in them. And even easier to run into something particularly nasty albeit not necessarily supernatural."

"This is Greendale, the only things in those woods are feral familiars and the only things that they don't tolerate are hunters. And that was brutal, I mean if he weren't a piece of shit I'd say it was overkill." Danica made her way up the steps, "Besides it would have to be something magically inclined, no sign of head trauma I mean it would've been a pretty hard hit to the head to make me forget anything."

She suddenly paused, causing Sam to bump into her,

"What's wrong"

"I can't believe I actually almost let you in" Dani panicked under her breath, " What the Heaven is wrong with me"

"And that's a problem because?"

"They have no idea who you are and quite frankly I have every intention of keeping it that way. Especially considering the fact at one point we were married, if Auntie Z ever found out she would literally bloody kill me"

"I'm sure she's not that bad"

"Tell that to auntie Hilda"

"Yeah, about that, the whole married bit" Sam murmured, after some time making Danica whirl on him, " Apparently the guy I knew wasn't nearly as credible as I initially thought. Just thought I tell you that now before...."

"You miserable little shit" Danica hissed, delivering repeated smack to his arm, "Back in my life for less than an hour and you are already slowly, but surely, buggering it up. Why am I even helping you"

"Because you are Danica Iona Maeve Cromwell .... And you hold on to your deals and we made one, I help you find that thing and you keep me from ending up like what's his face." Sam smugly countered, "Besides I don't understand why you're worrying over nothing, I'll just use a glamour and disguise myself as one of your friends."

"Fat chance of that" Danica scoffed,

"Seriously, I will never understand how someone like you could never make friends. I mean I've seen you literally give the clothes off your back to a complete stranger and charm the pants off Charles De Gaulle."

"Well, being someone as worldly and of high intelligence makes it rather hard to be satiated with absolute mundane fuckery"

"Ahh, there it is" Danica threw him a look that screamed for him to watch his ass,

"Hecate just take him to my room and we'll go from there" Hecate made an indignant sound before relenting and the pair disappeared.

Danica took the time to magic herself a new outfit, consisting of bootcut jeans, an Old Alice Cooper concert T-Shirt and a pair of old albeit well-maintained converse. Electing to not even bother with her hair and makeup before heading inside.

She startled by the sound of someone descending the grand staircase, relaxing when she realized it was her beloved cousin,

"Where have you been?"

"Oh, you know the usual went into work on my day off nearly made an ass of myself but, still managed to put Piper Bishop in her place. Until I went to Sabrina's school where I did make an ass of myself."

"Dare I ask why you went this time?"

"Okay in my defense it was a legitimate vision. And according to Sabrina as well as what little I saw and felt, I'm pretty sure it was a blood curse.

"Really because the last time you said she was having a heart attack ."

"Yeah, I know"

"But you were really just having indigestion"

"I KNOW" she paused scanning his face, "Wait a minute you asked me where I was not why was I home. You knew it was my day off, didn't you?

"If you need me, I'll be tending to a new body." He called to her as he descended to the mortuary

"You saw me get ready and didn't even think to ask?" she snapped, before gathering herself and heading out the front door.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Danica and Sam spent the better half of the morning and afternoon going through her books as wells as a few of Ambrose's. Based on what little she did know, she was certain she had the creature figured out, as either shapeshifter or Demon. She elected to head downstairs to grab a snack before figuring out her plan of attack.

As she made her way into the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of Aunt Hilda, Aunt Zelda, and Sabrina in the kitchen. Hilda handed Sabrina an egg.

"Break an egg, please, miss." Aunt Hilda she instructs. "Better safe than sorry."

"Blood Curse knew it" Danica announced with a mouth full of Granny Smith apple, startling her eldest Aunt

"Danica Iona Maeve Cromwell what have I told you about sneaking up on people or talking with your mouth full for that matter" the younger witch merely rolled her eyes, surprised that she didn't comment on her lack of action on the suspected Blood curse. Truth be told it wasn't as if it needed to be treated immediately, blood curses never worked that fast.

Sabrina obeyed their aunt, cracking the egg over a bowl and out plopped a blood-saturated yolk.

Aunt Hilda laughs sarcastically,

"I was right. That is a blood curse. Oh, it's lingering. So, untreated, that is gonna eat slowly away at your health, your will, and your sanity. So, a regimen of saltwater baths, reversing candles for a couple of weeks, and that will do the trick, I think. Alright, off you go."

Sabrina was about to comply but, stopped

"Aunties? The Weird Sisters said something about Mom and Dad."

"What did they say about your mother and father?" Aunt Zelda asks, even Danica was given pause

"Their accident. They were almost implying that it wasn't an accident." Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda look at each other.

"Well, that's just poppycock." Aunt Zelda scoffed says.

"Yeah." Aunt Hilda adds.

"Your father and mother were flying to Italy. Edward was giving a lecture at the Vatican when their plane went down. Tragically." Danica didn't know why but, she didn't like the way she'd said tragically. As if there were such a thing as a non-Tragic plane crash "Now get up upstairs and into a bath like your Aunt Hilda says." Sabrina nods and then leaves the room, leaving you alone with Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda.

"Where have you been all day? It's not like you to miss lunch" Aunt Hilda eyed Danica carefully,

"Oh, just figured I'd go through somethings back at the Estate, figured I'd look through the Library again for the family journals. Must have just lost track of time" the younger witch assured gathering two more apples and heading upstairs before either could ask any more questions

"I need your help," Sabrina said before she could get to her room, making her almost jump. She was able to collect herself somewhat before asking,

"With?"

"A spell."

"When?"

"Midnight."

"Okay." Sabrina looks at her strangely and Danica almost kicked herself, usually, she would have been more inquisitive. Eventually, she turned and left for the bathroom, she waited till her sister was inside the bathroom before she slipped into her room. According to what little Sam found the only way to kill the supposed succubus was ripping out its heart or lopping off its head. Which made her feel as though she'd wasted precious time, that could've been spent tracking it down. As that was the usual go-to for any tangible supernatural entity. She yawned as she allowed herself to slump forward on her dressing table, the dusty old books pillowing her head.

_Danica found herself standing at the end of a long hallway, there were weird old pictures on the wall but, the images were all blurred. It didn't seem like anything from any place she'd ever seen but, at the same time, it all seemed familiar. At the end of the hallway, there was a door, slowly but, surely, she made her way towards it. The closer she got the more she could hear the faintest whispers of a strange language, that seemed to become louder the closer she got to door. By the time she reached the door the voices consumed her very thoughts so loud, it was absolutely maddening. Until she could no longer bear it and flung the door open,_

Danica sat straight up in, looking around widely,

"Hey, it's okay" Sam urged her putting a hand on her arm almost to ground her, " It's just a dream"

Danica paused, moved to comment on it, everything she had seen faded from her mind. She glanced at the clock and scowled

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Well, to be fair the last time I tried to wake you nearly broke my nose"

There was a knock at the door, that made the pair jump and Danica flung the Armoire open,

"Quick get in the Armoire, quick" as Sam nearly tripped over himself,

"Dani" came Sabrina's voice, followed by the door opening, "Hey, you ready It's almost time?"

"Yep," she assured, trying her best to appear casually leaning against the armoire and following her out the room. But, not before quickly closing the door behind her.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"This isn't like you, cousin," Ambrose says with a smile as Sabrina offered up her Principal's picture, "Using witchcraft to settle personal vendettas."

"These are desperate times, guys," Sabrina says seriously, well as seriously as one can in their PJs. "Now remember, I don't want to kill Principal Hawthorne, I just need to give him a good scare."

"Shame, would do the world some good, one less close-minded misogynist ass wipe." She grumbled, remembering how her rather unpleasant run-ins were. Especially, his unflattering gaze, that made her want to staple his eyes shut.

"Ms. Wardwell told me he's terrified of spiders." Sabrina smiles, which immediately gave Danica pause, that didn't sound like the mousy schoolteacher in the slightest. For the briefest moment, she wondered back to Hecate's reaction to her and the strangeness of her eyes. She would have to make a point to see Mary after this, if only to make sure she was safe from the creature, just in case she and Sam were wrong about it being a succubus.

"Oh, that's easy, then," Ambrose assures bringing Danica back to reality. "It's lucky that Aunt Hilda keeps them as her familiars."

He handed the picture back to Sabrina before heading out to retrieve them, returning with Aunt Hilda's cage of spiders. "Are you sure you don't want to kill him? Because we could do that." He says with a hopeful smile.

"Nope. I just need him to take a day or two off from school."

"Right. We'll only mildly traumatize him then." Ambrose says, almost a little putout. He places the picture into one of the spider cages.

"Spider, O Spider, pray, why do you spin your pretty white web so fine and so thin? To catch fat flies and make them into pies." Ambrose started off

"Spider, O spider, pray, do you not see? Here comes a big, buzzing, blundering bee." Danica Chimed in

He'll spoil your fine net while you fume and you fret, but no mercy your grant and no mercy you'll get." Sabrina finished,

"Well, now that that's done, I suggest we all get some rest," Ambrose says with a smile. "I'll put the spiders away."

"No, I'll do it. I need to get something anyway" Danica insisted picking up the tiny atrium, heading out the door without another word. Once her Aunt Hilda's Familiars were properly situated, she went straight back to her room coat in hand.

"Woah where are you going? You're seriously not going after that thing, halfcocked, are you?"

"No, I just need to Check up on my neighbor technically my tenant, Mary. We'll put up another protection spell around the cottage, make sure she doesn't see you. Not that will matter she's most likely be asleep "

"Well sounds to me you too are little more than neighbor"

"Shut up, she's mortal she won't be able to defend herself. Now come on" Sam suddenly disappeared, after a few minutes he reappeared.

"SERIOUSLY?"

"I know, I know. I swear I forgot" the three disappeared,

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

"Okay, you start on that side and I'll start on..." Danica paused when she noticed the living room was lit up, " What the heaven is she doing up it's almost 1' o clock in the morning?"

"You know her sleep schedule?" Sam whispered back, as they moved to the other side of the house for a better look.

"She follows her routine like bloody clock...work" Danica paused for a moment, when she noted the wall above the fireplace and then to the doorway "Oh shit, shit"

"I thought you said she was mortal"

"Not just a mortal she is superstitious as heaven, I mean at one point she told me when her father died she covered all the mirrors in the house. Not even Auntie Hilda would something like that....okay maybe she would"

"So, why does she have an upside-down cross above her fireplace and an upside-down horseshoe over her doorway." It was then that Hecate began to hiss when she spotted the winged familiar from before "Shh what the Heaven is wrong with you, I know you're mad but, if you don't shut up it will hear us"

As if summoned, Mary Wardwell's doppelganger appeared wearing a rather risqué green robe.

"Right, just friends" Sam muttered,

"There's no way in Heaven that's Mary Wardwell."

"Because she's wearing well..." Sam vaguely gestured to the supposed schoolteacher

"Considering the woman dresses up like a typical schoolteacher from the 50s 24/7, I'd say yes. And her personality for that matter, the Mary I know wouldn't hurt a fly and yet, she's telling Sabrina all sorts of things. I knew there was something wrong with her eyes." Danica winced as her memory of the night before came flooding back as gripped her head.

"Her eyes, oh not this again" Sam pinched the bridge of his nose, " I mean yes you were right about those Carnival folk, Hitler. Looking back though the James Dean being gay was a little on the nose..."

"We need to go now, right now" Sam complied without a second thought, the three were back in Dani's room

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

Danica awoke the next morning, amazed she had slept at all, to the soft pattering of the rain hitting the window. She could smell her Aunt Hilda preparing breakfast, she took a moment to stretch before electing to get up. She thought on the night before, with her discovery of what had happened to her poor neighbor and her guilt in leading that thing straight to her. She went to the armoire for her long black Robe, after she slipped it and went to put on her slippers on. It was only then that she noticed Sam was missing and a chill ran up her spine, surely, he wouldn't be that stupid.

"Sam" she called, only to be met with silence. After all the times she warned him. Danica cautiously made her way downstairs to the kitchen; she froze when she saw Sam.

"I don't understand you, niece." She heard her Aunt Zelda as she cautiously made her way into the room "You'd rather a feral familiar than one bred for service?"

"Salem doesn't serve me, Aunt Z. We're a partnership. He'll protect me, I'll protect him." Sabrina countered as she butters a piece of toast. Danica set about filling Hecate's bowl, tense as all hell,

"Dani" Danica jolted at the sound of her Aunt Hilda's voice sending pieces of Hecate's food everywhere, "Are you alright"

"Yep, fine perfectly fine"

"I just wanted to introduce you to Sam, he's apparently a friend of Ambrose's from..."

"Oxford" Ambrose finished,

"Really, well that's nice" she forced a smile, as Sam stood to meet her with a nervous smile, as they shook hands, "Always nice to meet a friend of Ambrose"

"Drink up, darling." Aunt Hilda placed a new jar in front of Sabrina. "I put a bit of cinnamon in it this time."

"And why did you name him Salem of all things?" Aunt Zelda sighs,

"I'll go get a broom" Danica announced, not that anyone was listening, heading off. Barley registering Sam and Ambrose's excuse to slink off.

"I can explain, it's really not a big deal" Sam let out a tight-lipped smile of sorts, "It's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's just....look to be fair it just never came up" that gave Danica pause,

"Woah, no, no, no. Are you telling me that you that was a cover, you two actually know each other? And you didn't think to tell me."

"Dani, just listen. I mean technically I should be mad at you for not saying anything about us being married"

"Well, forgive me for trying to get an enormous mistake in my life......"

"Hey, up before I left you, we had a damn good track rec......" Danica was about to make an irate comment but, decided against it, leaving Ambrose room to interject

"To be fair when we met, it wasn't exactly the proudest moment of my life. It was back when I met Crowley and well you know" Danica whirled on Sam,

"So, you were one of those assholes who left him holding the proverbial bag? Why does that not surprise me"

"Actually, the exact opposite, he tried to talk me and the others out of it." Danica stood there for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh,

"Fine, just forget it. But no more lying from here on out for any of us."

"That is good seeing as I told him about the possible Shapeshifter/ Demon." 

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

As the trio approached the kitchen broom in Danica's hand, only find that Hecate had taken it upon herself to take care of the mess. They heard to sound of an argument building between Zelda and mostly like Sabrina.

"I'll just put this back" Sam excused himself, broom in hand.

"Choice? It is our sacred duty and honor to serve the Dark Lord. The extraordinary, delicious gifts he bestows on us in return for signing his book. And you, you would deny him that?" Aunt Zelda eyed her younger niece carefully.

"It's my name, Aunt Zelda."

"We all signed the book, and proudly, I might add." Before standing up with a dramatic flourish, "This is your mother's influence."

"Zelda, calm down. Your blood pressure." Aunt Hilda sternly reminds her.

"This is your fault too." Aunt Zelda turns on her sister. "We should have homeschooled her, as is our custom."

"Sabrina, do you not want to join the Church of Night as a full member, my love?" Aunt Hilda asks gently.

"I think so, I just don't know why I have to give up everything in my life that's human to do it." The young half-witch admits,

"Witch law. The Path of Night or the Path of Light." Aunt Zelda says.

"But not both," Sabrina says with Aunt Zelda as she rises from her chair just as dramatically as her aunt.

"And yet, my father, a warlock, married my mother, and she was human."

"Which very nearly got Edward Excommunicated."

"Which begs the question, why would I want to join an organization that would that to anyone I care about?" Sabrina fumed, starring her aunt down

"Because, it's what they wanted for you," Zelda insisted, "Isn't that right Hilda? Didn't Edward and Diana both say so."

"Yes, many times" Hilda assured, although Danica couldn't help but notice her slight hesitation in saying so.

"Your father was a high priest. You will be baptized under a blood moon, as we were, as all the Spellmans before you were. As your children will be, and that, my niece is final."

And with that, the youngest Spellman stormed out in a huff, Danica, and Ambrose spared a passing glance before the pair headed out after her. Leaving Sam on his own with Hilda and an irate Zelda,

"So, Sam, what is it that you do?" Hilda mustered a cheery smile, with a clear of her throat

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

There she was on the deck in one the lawn chairs,

"Let me ask you something" Danica settled in beside her, "The Spell we cast last night on Hawthorne, even though you were doing it for your friends. I could tell you genuinely enjoyed it am I wrong?"

"No,"

"You realize that your gifts, that euphoria fades to nothing if you aren't baptized," Ambrose adds softly.

"I know I just wish there was a way I could be sure what to do."

"In that case, you need to get your hands on a malum malus."

Danica bit her lip, in a hum of hesitation but, otherwise didn't outright object.

"What's a malum malus?"

"Well, that depends on the translation" Danica spoke up finally, "If it's a man, it's the apple of evil."

"And if it's a woman, it's the fruit of knowledge." Ambrose finished,

"What do you do with it?" the young witch asked drawing a bemused look from her cousin as her sister did her best not to respond with something sarcastic.

"It's an apple, you bite into it."

"And it grants you the knowledge, it may even give you a glimpse into the future." Danica furrowed her brow a bit, "Although it can be cryptic, even for those of us with the sight. But, I suppose it couldn't hurt so long as you take it with a grain of salt. That is if you're interested?"

"Yeah" Sabrina exclaimed,

"Go to an orchard, find the oldest tree, it'll have at least one. The older the tree, the more it's seen, the more it knows. ."

"Groovy" Sabrina brightened as headed out with Salem in tow before Danica could explain that the accuracy of a reading relied primarily upon the reader.

"So, speaking of knowledge. I would much like to know what you and Sam were up to last night."

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"So, let me get this straight you think you're neighbor, Sabrina's mortal teacher is possessed by a demon. And you didn't think to tell anyone are you sure you weren't just remembering a dream"

"Think? Did you not hear me, a thing that I said? That demon literally attacked Mary and me, ate Chester. Even before I remembered she seemed wrong. Just like that guy that came to the house trying to sell fake life insurance policies, on the surface he seemed fine and legit but, then I looked into his eyes and knew he was lying. I may not be the most social person in the world but, I know people and I defiantly know Mary Wardwell. That thing whatever it is is not her."

"It's not that I don't trust you; it's just you ran into that thing two times and neither time did it kill you. And yet, it did kill either people you came in contact to last night and not only that but, returned you home. Which means it certainly knows where to find you but, has done nothing since that night to find you"

"Okay that part I still don't get, in fact, I never really thought of that. Mostly focusing on the fact that my bloody neighbor could be possessed by a demonic entity which is most likely my fault. I just want to know what the Heaven is going on because again, I am more than will to stake my life that that thing is not Mary bloody Wardwell."

"I'm guessing telling the Aunties is not even an option"

"No, and besides it's not like they would believe me if anything Auntie Hilda would say I've probably been working too hard, Auntie Z would just say I was drinking again. And definitely not telling Bri, at least not until after the fact"

"And you're sure you...." He paused when he saw the murderous look on her face that almost rivaled their eldest Aunt. "Okay, I'm sure between the three of us we can figure this out"

There was the opening of the old screen door making them nearly jump,

"Ambrose, Danica they are bringing the Kemper boy by"

"We'll get right on it, Auntie" Aunt Zelda stood there a moment looking between the pair, with a narrowing of her eyes,

"What are you two plotting?"

"Nothing" They both answered too quickly, Danica cleared her throat,

"I was just asking Ambrose if I could borrow his..." Danica racked her brain for something that would easily placate her Aunt's mind, "Satanic Bible, I left mine at the Academy."

"Really, you misplaced your own mother's Satanic Bible" Aunt Hilda narrowed her eyes, "Honestly, Danica you'd lose your head if it wasn't attached. How you manage to get anything done is beyond me"

And with a shake of her head, she left. The pair waited until the sound of her footsteps faded away into silence,

"Alright, you head down to mortuary." Danica turned to her cousin, "I'll go with Sam and try to collect some books from the family library, that things more extensive than the Academy's. Afterward, I'll meet you downstairs. The sooner we take care of the Kemper boy the sooner, how to deal with this thing."

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Danica made her way downstairs, hastily tying on the apron.

"You won't believe what I found when I was looking through the library. I grabbed the wrong book and the whole shelf swung around like something out of the movies. Except there was whole another thing of books on the other side, I think found out where Magnus hid the Family diaries. Including Great Uncle Claudius' who happened to be quite familiar with demons, pretty sure ...." Danica trailed off when she noticed what looked like a witch's mark on the Kemper boy's arm, she immediately raced back upstairs to find her aunts in the middle of a puzzle,

"Uh Aunties, I think there's something you need to see," Danica announced,

 

"It's a birthmark." Aunt Zelda concluded as the four of them regarded the young boy's corpse.

"Except I poked it, and" Ambrose trails off as he inserted a needle into the aforementioned birthmark.

"Oh, that doesn't bleed." Aunt Hilda finishes. "That's a witch's mark, then."

"Or it's simply that his blood started to settle in his buttocks." Aunt Zelda was quick to dismiss.

"But what if it is a witch's mark and what with Connor here having been murdered..." Danica pressed,

"A witch hunter? Is that possible?" Aunt Hilda asks worriedly.

"Might be worth bringing up to the Council," Ambrose interjects,

"Yet another reason Sabrina needs to join the Church of the Night. So, she's protected. Witches without covens are easy pickings." Zelda sighs.

"I've been praying on that, Zelda," Aunt Hilda says turning to her sister, "And I just think that if she wants to talk to someone, an outside opinion..."

"Who would you have her talk to, Hilda? The Dark Lord himself?" Aunt Zelda laughs to herself.

"Or someone who speaks for him?" Danica offered, " I could give Father Blackwood a call, see if he'd be willing to come by, he's always going on about the Cove's low numbers."

"Couldn't hurt" Ambrose offered, "And we could get him to have a look at Connor, while we're at it"

"Finish the embalming, for now at least" Aunt Zelda turned to Danica and Ambrose, "Carefully, we'll need every single drop of blood for Sabrina's anointment during the baptism." She took a moment to regard the body, "Shame they decided against a closed casket. We haven't had long pig for dinner in ages."

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"Aunties? Dani? Ambrose? Can we please have a family meeting? I've made a decision about my baptism." Sabrina announced as she walked in the front door.

"Sabrina, we're in here." Aunt Hilda calls to her. Sabrina quietly entered the parlor.

"Is this the child?" Father Blackwood asks.

"It is, Your Excellency." Aunt Zelda says. "This is our other niece, Sabrina."

"Oh, my child, you have no idea how special you are, do you? How you've been chosen." He offers the young girl a smile

"Sorry, do I know you?" Sabrina asked with a furrowed brow,

"Honestly." Aunt Zelda scolds, turning to Father Blackwood "Forgive her, Father, she knows not what she says."

"Sabrina, we are being honored tonight." Aunt Hilda says softly. "This is Faustus Blackwood. He is High Priest of the Church of Night. Dark Lord Satan's representative on Earth." She adds.

"Your aunts and sister tell me you're having doubts about your baptism. That you may, in fact, not be signing your name in the Book of the Beast."

"Uh-" Sabrina scrambled to think of an appropriate response before Father Blackwood interjected

"No, no, no. That cannot be. That must not be. So, let us see what I can do to convince you." He says as his hand wraps around his cane.

 


End file.
